Film journalism - an untapped 'gold mine'

Film about the journalism profession that can be counted on the fingers

Journalism is a “gold mine” of cinema: it has dramatic elements, social depth, conflicts and very real inner struggles. From an investigative report to a social critique, from journalists facing danger, to the pressure between their profession and personal ethics, all are “valuable” materials.

In developed cinemas such as the US, South Korea, Japan or France, journalism is brought to the screen as a symbol of social criticism and the voice of justice. Films such as Spotlight (US), The Post (US), Kill the Messenger, or Argon (South Korea) have all created a buzz with their engaging content and candid perspective on journalism.

In Vietnam, the number of films about journalism can be counted on one hand. Most of them are old TV series, and there are almost no films in cinema. In 2006, the 20-episode film "Journalism" directed by Phi Tien Son caused a stir in public opinion. The characters in the film include those who practice their profession honestly, but there are also cases where they lose themselves because of the temptation of money. The film also directly exploits many dark corners related to corruption, bribery, and the dangers that journalists may encounter during their work.

The 12-episode film “Yellow Light” is based on the novel of the same name by Tran Chien, touching on pressing issues of life seen from a journalistic perspective such aseducation and land corruption. In 2007, director Quoc Trong made the film “Probationary Reporter”, telling the story of new reporters, details about love and ideals of young people. “Human Skin Mask” (2012) is an uncompromising battle between truth and falsehood, good and evil within each person. With a sharp and engaging script by Nguyen Xuan Truong, director Mai Hong Phong told the story of journalism, a profession completely different from what people often imagine, always facing dangers and pressures.

It is undeniable that some Vietnamese TV series have featured journalist characters, but most of them only appeared as supporting roles, or were even constructed quite stereotypically, either as journalists who were upright to the point of being idealized, or as “emotional” characters with little professional depth. Familiar scenes such as: journalists typing on computers, holding tape recorders, or “rolling around” at crime scenes in an unrealistic way, or holding notebooks in their hands, many films even exaggerated when journalists did the police’s investigation work… making the audience feel distant. Lack of authenticity and professional drama makes these films not attractive enough to the audience.

Need a "push" from journalists and the press industry

Although journalists are considered “loyal secretaries of the times”, always at the forefront of information, this image is not clearly portrayed in Vietnamese films. Why is journalism, a profession that has both investigative and humanistic elements, and involves struggle and dedication, rarely included in Vietnamese films?

According to some directors and screenwriters, the main reason why filmmakers are reluctant to make films about journalism is because this topic is “sensitive” and easily touched upon. Because journalism is always associated with negative reflections of society, thorny truths, and the fight against negativity - this makes producers worry about having to edit the script too much. In addition, to build a film script about journalism, the writer must have a very good understanding of the profession, have life experience and practical experience. It is impossible to build a journalist through a few phone calls and typing on the keyboard. Meanwhile, many young screenwriters and directors today have few opportunities to deeply interact with journalism, so they lack genuine feelings. This leads to hesitation when approaching the topic.

Another reason is that Vietnamese audiences' tastes are currently leaning towards easy-to-watch entertainment topics: love, family, action... Investigative and socially critical films such as those about journalism are considered "hard to swallow" and not easy to attract mass audiences.

If journalists are storytellers for society, then cinema is the means to tell those stories in a more emotional and vivid way. I think that if the Vietnam Journalists Association had campaigns, film composition camps on the topic of journalism, or organized screenplay writing competitions about journalism, this would be an opportunity to "pull" cinema closer to this professional life.

For their part, journalists from press agencies, journalists’ associations, to individual reporters and editors proactively connect with filmmakers to tell meaningful professional stories that they live every day. Journalists not only investigate corruption and speak the truth, but also provide disaster relief, stand with the disadvantaged, and tell kind stories. These topics can absolutely be made into films with a positive, humane, and emotionally moving perspective.

Thuy Duong

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/nghe-bao-trong-dien-anh-mo-vang-con-bo-ngo-post552460.html